Welcome to Future Transport Tasmania

We are here to lobby for better public transport and rail infrastructure in Tasmania. We aim to find solutions to allow all Tasmanians to have environmentally responsible and affordable commuting options to get around our state and towns. A more detailed mission statement can be found in the left column or <here>.

Find our articles below, starting with the most recent ones first:

Monday, March 15, 2010

State Election questions -Labor's response

Here is the Labor Party's response to our questions.For some reason they did not answer the first four questions, although they have been in part answered in later questions.We have not yet received a response from any other party, but hope to receive the Greens' response tomorrow.

Election responses –Labor Party

1. What will you do to ensure rail freight services continue in Tasmania?Not answered.

2. How would you improve public transport services across Tasmania?Not answered, although partly answered by other responses.

3. Would you support introducing a passenger service on the northern suburbs railway?Answered in the last question.

4. Do you believe the railway line into Hobart should be retained?Answered in the last question.

5. Will you commit to increasing funding for Metro Tasmania and other public transport operators?Passenger Transport is vitally important for connecting communities and the Bartlett Labor Government’s commitment of an additional $16 million over the next four years will enable Metro to work to increase patronage on buses. This funding will allow Metro to undertake a range of activities aimed at improving their services and increasing patronage.

Specifically, the funding will be used to conduct market research to better understand their users’ current and future needs. This will be followed by a promotional campaign. Staff will also receive customer service refresher training.

Metro will implement a journey planner, better designed customer information, and work towards timetable information that will be able to be downloaded to customer’s mobile phones.

Metro will trial real time information in the Elizabeth St bus mall, providing bus times and bus stop information.

The funding will also allow metro to upgrade off-buss infrastructure such as shelters and bus stops.

Metro plans to introduce high visibility buses to assist older people and the visually impaired, LED destination signs and will trial provision for bikes on buses.

They will trial Bus Service Officers to provide customer advice and to assist users to ensure they are travelling with the right ticket and concession. CCTV will continue to be rolled out so that all Metro buses are fitted with cameras.

Metro is currently investigating alternative energy for their bus fleet and are hoping to use biodiesel in their buses in the immediate future, and then trialling hybrid buses for use in the long-term. Park and ride is also on the agenda.Further, Metro will investigate the rollout of the Greencard to other private bus operators around the State.

A re-elected Bartlett Labor Government will also provide $7 million in funding to improve passenger transport services for Tasmanians in urban fringe and rural areas.This commitment will see new buses reaching out further and with greater frequency.The new contract system requires operators to crate service development plans, working with their customers to determine community needs. Labor will provide seed funding to operators to trial additional services The trials will be for an initial 12 month period and their continuation will be dependent on patronage over that period.Examples may include but are not restricted to: additional week day and weekend services, Devonport – Ulverstone, Dodges Ferry – Hobart, Geeveston, Huonville – Hobart, Campania, Richmond – Hobart.

Labor will work with bus operators and local councils to provide off bus infrastructure creating a better, more accessible, environment for bus patrons. Such as: bus shelters, bus stops, interchange facilities, car parking, internet trip planning – (one stop for all timetables) and initiating planning for integrated ticketing.

6. Will you support a high frequency park and ride bus service between Kingston and Hobart?The Urban Passenger Transport Framework supports the development of a network of park and ride facilities, with work well underway on a Kingston park and ride site.

7. Would you support a similar service on the Eastern shore?Labor is committed to investigating additional park and ride sites.

8. Will you support bus priority lanes on congested key arterial roads and intersections?The Labor Government introduced a trial of the first bus priority lane in Tasmania on the Southern Outlet. Bus Priority will progress with Metro working with key stakeholders (DIER and local government) to implement bus priority for buses, taxis and cars with more than 3 occupants and bus pre-emption at traffic lights.

9. Will you support extensive additional bicycle lanes and paths in our cities and suburbs?Labor is committed to working in partnership with local councils to facilitate extension of bicycle lanes and paths in cities and suburbs. To this end the Government previously committed $ 4 million on a $1 for $1 funding basis with local councils.

10. What will you do to increase pedestrian zones, amenities and safety in our cities?The Government launched the Safer Travel Speeds in Shared Urban Spaces Funding Program in May 2008. The objective of the four year program is to aid Local Government to improve road safety. The focus of the program is on speed management and traffic calming measures in urban areas.

11. Given the disaster that private ownership of Tasrail was, will you commit to keeping the Tasmanian Railway in public hands?The Rail Legislation that the Labor Government implemented last year contains a clause requiring both Houses of Parliament to approve any change in ownership.

12. If not, will you commit to retaining public ownership of the rail track network?Public ownership of the rail network makes sense and puts it on the same footing as the road network.

13. What will you do to ensure a far greater share of freight is carried by rail, instead of road as it is currently?The State Owned Tasmanian Railway Company is serious about a viable future for rail in Tasmania and is currently developing a strategic plan to ensure it has the capacity to grow its business.

14. Currently the maximum permissible Tasmanian heavy vehicle axle-load is 25 tonnes for a B-Double truck. Will you allow heavier and longer vehicles on the road than are currently?A B-Double with tri-axle trailers is currently permitted to operate at a gross mass of 62.5 tonnes when travelling on an approved high productivity route network. That weight would increase by 0.5t to 63t if the prime mover has front underrun protection (FUPS), additional cabin strength and the new emission controls. The individual axle masses would be 6t (6.5 if FUPS etc) on the steer (front) axle, 16.5t on the tandem drive axle and 20t on each of the two tri-axle groups.

If the high productivity route network was also approved as a higher mass route then the gross mass would increase to 68t (68.5t if FUPS etc was on the prime mover). The individual axle masses would be 6t (6.5t if FUPS etc) on the steer (front) axle, 17t on the tandem drive axle, and 22.5t on each of the two tri-axle groups.Whilst the Labor Government has not closed the door on the introduction of B-Triples in Tasmania, there are no plans for introduction in the foreseeable future.

15. Will you do to ensuring Flinders Island has a regular, dependable sea freight and passenger service?Labor is committed to ensuring that Flinders and Cape Barren Islands have a long term sustainable shipping service that meets their needs. To this end, last year the Minister for Infrastructure instructed the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources to arrange a review of shipping needs. The review, undertaken by consultants was completed in December and the Department is now working with the Flinders Island Council to determine the best model for the long term future. It is anticipated that the plan will be implemented within six months.

16. What other ideas do you have that could improve public transport and rail services in Tasmania?The Tasmanian Passenger Transport Framework represents Labor’s vision for passenger transport in Tasmania’s urban areas. This Framework focuses on improved public transport, individual and family travel behaviour, promoting walking and cycling opportunities, development of park and ride facilities and closer integration with land use planning. This will be achieved in partnership with communities and stakeholders.

Transit corridors have been identified in the Urban Passenger Transport Framework. Labor will work with Local Councils on settlement strategies to encourage greater population densities around transit corridors.

Under the Framework, light rail is identified as a long-term option, once critical support measures have been implemented and the benefits realised – this includes, in particular, greater population densities around the rail and other transit corridors, and travel behaviour change towards public transport.

The Parsons Brinkoff Report identified the limitations of the existing rail corridor in delivering more widely accessible public transport services.The Hobart Northern Suburbs Rail proposal suggests a low cost, low carbon option. A re-elected Bartlett Labor Government will commit to a comprehensive optimisation study on the existing rail corridor to determine the feasibility, real cost and benefits of such a proposal and critical actions that would be required to support future applications for Commonwealth Government funding.

To lobby for and promote rail transport as a preferred option for bulk and intermodal freight

To lobby for and promote improvement and expansion of Tasmania’s rail infrastructure and network

-The retention of the Bridgewater to Hobart line- The reopening of various other lines eg. Derwent Valley, Wiltshire, Smithton and Scottsdale

To lobby for transport solutions to be integrated into urban and regional planning

PRIMARY RATIONALE

Climate change demands action, increased public transport services are inherent to this response

Increasing oil costs, together with the reality of Peak Oil will ensure that significant improvements to public transport services, with a much wider range of options, is necessary in the near future

Economic efficiency –assisting business and providing jobs

Equity and accessibility

Improved air quality and matching Tasmania’s Clean and Green brand

Addressing unsustainable traffic congestion

Removing discrimination –improving access to public transport for the disabled, elderly people and parents

More closely knit and cohesive communities;-eg. Neighbours who catch the same bus are much more likely to talk to one another in comparison to those who drive themselves to work

The notion that public transport systems or indeed a publicly owned rail system have to pay their own way is potentially counterproductive to the aim of such a system-Were Hobart’s old tram and suburban rail systems closed due to lack of patronage, or running costs?

Current demand is not relative to future use, simply because of the lack of current transport alternatives

Rail transport is potentially far more efficient than road, and has multiple benefits alongside decreasing carbon emissions, including;-significantly decreased road maintenance costs-potentially decreased road toll and associated costs relating to heavy vehicle crashes-Tasmania’s rail network was constructed in the 19th century and has to compete with a 20th century highway

MORE ABOUT US

Until now there has been no community-based group advocating public and rail transport. We are here to fill this gap and provide a voice for these issues in the public arena.

We mean business and will work as vigorously as any corporate lobby group does, except that unlike some we want to hear public opinion.

Membership of FTT is open to any person who wishes to be a part of it.

We are not affiliated with any political party. We welcome discussion of our agenda and ideas with anyone, and we hope to have discussions with all three major political parties in Tasmania about these issues.

Tasmania is currently re-defining itself. As part of this process of change and growth, in a vision of sustainability and progress, transport infrastructure is a vital part of nation (and state) building. Future Transport Tasmania aims to bring this vision of the future into today’s public debate.

For further information and comment:Toby Rowallan (Secretary) 0418 997 069Email: